2019 Soccer news, photos, stats, schedules, standings and videos

• LAFC and Galaxy will square off later this month when MLS season resumes8 August 2020, 1:55 am
  El Tráfico rivalry between LAFC and the Galaxy will be renewed on Aug. 22 when the teams meet during the 2020 MLS season restart.
  
• Brazil soccer's Serie A begins as COVID-19 deaths at 100,0008 August 2020, 12:37 am
  Brazil's main national soccer championship begins on Saturday after a three-month delay on the same day the South American nation is expected to reach the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. Three matches will open the country's Serie A, in a big victory for President Jair Bolsonaro, who has downplayed the risks of the disease and has insisted life and sport should return to normal. Brazil has counted a daily average of 1,000 fatalities by the virus for more than two months, and almost 3 million people are infected.
  
• A statement victory from City but Guardiola keeps his cool7 August 2020, 11:58 pm
  RESENDING TO ADD POST MATCH NEWS CONFERENCE WITH REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE AND COMPLETE SCRIPT VIDEO SHOWS: POST-MATCH NEWS CONFERENCES WITH MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA AND REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE SHOWS: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 7, 2020) (MANCHESTER CITY HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SAYING: "This competition can punish you we know from our own experience, but I think Gabriel (Jesus) made his contribution to this. He's the best guy for these kinds of situations, for the intuition, for the exclusivity. I think Gabriel was man of the match for these two games. He scored in Madrid. He provoked the penalty and (unintelligible) and scored a goal. He was so decisive for us. He was a big help, of course, for the whole team the way we fought and suffered in the bad moments." 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SAYING: "There are still many, many, many incredible teams of course, but it's an important first step for us, for our confidence, for this year, for the future. We beat Real Madrid. It's incredible for us, you know? But at the end (of the day) it's last 16. We still have three (more) games. We're going to Portugal to enjoy the country of Joao (Cancelo) and Bernardo (Silva). Stay there. Eat well. Be together. Laugh a lot. Work a lot. And arrive at the best moment to Olympique Lyon and try to achieve for the second time in the history of the Champions League - the semi-finals of the Champions League. So, the best success (we've had) in this competition was the semi-final. So, that's why you have to be so calm and we will see what happens." 4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SAYING: "Of course, our dream when we started this competition was to win it. Or first game against Shakhtar (Donetsk) there - OK guys, try it again, to win it. OK. We beat Real Madrid. Of course, for us, it's so important because we know the credit, the value, the prestige Real Madrid has. So, winning this title 13 times and three years in a row. Zidane, it was the first time he lost a knockout game. So, they're a massive club in terms of history and everything. And competing with them and beating them twice - for this season, for the future, it will be so good." 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "Well, we can't be happy, obviously, because we lost the game, we lost a qualifier. But at the end of the day, what we did the whole season, we have to be proud of that. That's soccer. We lost two matches to another good team and sometimes you just have to accept that. We had our chances to score, but we lacked a little - especially in the second half when we did better. But at the end of the day, that's soccer. Ninety-five percent of what we did throughout the season was excellent. And today we played an opponent, and we have to accept it." 8. WHITE FLASH 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "We should be, and I am, very proud of the team and what we did. It's been an excellent season. Obviously today we and the players are not happy because these are players who always want to win. And when you lose, this is how it is." STORY: Pep Guardiola's Manchester City delivered a statement performance to move past Real Madrid and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday (August 7), putting aside questions about their mettle in Europe's top competition. Under Guardiola, City have fallen short in the knockout stage, allowing games to run away from them in losses to Tottenham, Liverpool and Monaco in the past three seasons. But in both the 2-1 win at the Bernabeu in February and in this victory by the same scoreline at an empty Etihad, City showed a maturity and control that suggests they may be ready for a real challenge this season. Olympique Lyonnais are next up on August 15 in Lisbon and on this form, City will start as favourites to reach the competition's semi-finals for only the second time. While City showed the kind of focus and discipline that had helped Real to three Champions League titles under Zinedine Zidane, the Spaniards were undone with the sort of sloppy defending that has cost Guardiola's men in the past. Twice Raphael Varane gave the ball away inside his box to gift City goals - the first created by Gabriel Jesus for Raheem Sterling and the second finished by the Brazilian. But Guardiola deserves credit himself for the way he set his team up to press Real's fragile back-line with the surprise decision to feature Phil Foden as part of his front three. City fans may believe this could be their year but Guardiola knows there is so much quality and so many surprises awaiting in the 'Final Eight' knockout tournament in Lisbon. (Production: Kurt Michael Hall)
  
• 'This defeat is on me,' says Varane as errors send Real Madrid out7 August 2020, 11:33 pm
  City won 2-1 on the night for a 4-2 aggregate victory to reach the quarter-finals where they will face Lyon. Varane was dispossessed inside the box in the ninth minute allowing Sterling to put City ahead, and his poor headed backpass attempt gifted Jesus another goal midway through the second half.
  
• Ronaldo not enough for 'cursed' Juventus7 August 2020, 11:24 pm
  Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri said he was "bitter" as the Italian giants crashed out of the Champions League on Friday to Lyon despite a Cristiano Ronaldo double giving the hosts a 2-1 win over the French club on the night. Captain Memphis Depay's 12th-minute penalty however, sealed Lyon's berth in the quarter-finals with a 2-2 aggregate score to go through on away goals. A goal up after winning February's first leg, Lyon will face Manchester City at the final tournament in Lisbon.
  
• Lyon hold off 'extraterrestial' Ronaldo and Juve to reach Champions League last-eight7 August 2020, 10:48 pm
  Lyon coach Rudi Garcia hailed his team for seeing off Juventus and the "extraterrestial" Cristiano Ronaldo to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday. Captain Memphis Depay's early penalty sealed Lyon's berth in the last-eight despite losing 2-1 on the night in Turin. A goal up after winning February's first leg, Lyon will face Manchester City at the final tournament in Lisbon after drawing 2-2 on aggregate and going through on away goals.
  
• Guardiola targets 'next step' in Champions League after Man City dump out Real Madrid7 August 2020, 10:21 pm
  Pep Guardiola came out on top in his duel with Zinedine Zidane on Friday and then reminded his Manchester City players that their 2-1 win over Real Madrid that took them into the Champions League quarter-finals was just "one step" in their quest for European success. City capitalised on two shocking mistakes by Raphael Varane to get their goals, with Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus scoring either side of a Karim Benzema strike for the visitors in this last 16 second leg, played at an empty Etihad Stadium. After winning by the same scoreline in Madrid back in February, before the coronavirus forced the competition into hibernation, Guardiola's team advance 4-2 on aggregate to the final tournament in Lisbon.
  
• Zidane not too downbeat as Real Madrid go out of Champions League7 August 2020, 9:54 pm
  Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he remained "proud" of his team for their achievements this season despite the Spanish giants going out of the Champions League to Manchester City in the last 16 on Friday. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg at home back in February, before the coronavirus shutdown, Real lost by the same scoreline at an empty Etihad Stadium to go out 4-2 on aggregate, with two Raphael Varane mistakes directly leading to City's goals. "We can't be happy about today because we have lost a game and gone out, but we have to be proud of what we have done over the season," Zidane said after the match.
  
• Guardiola: ‘We’re here to win the Champions League’7 August 2020, 9:53 pm
  Pep Guardiola has put down a marker as Manchester City beat Real Madrid to reach the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
  
• Lyon hold off Juventus to reach Champions League quarter-finals7 August 2020, 9:45 pm
  Lyon qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday despite losing 2-1 to Juventus in Turin. A goal up after winning February's first leg, French side Lyon will face Manchester City at the final tournament in Lisbon after drawing 2-2 on aggregate and going through on away goals. Lyon squeezed past the Italian champions thanks to Memphis Depay's 12th-minute penalty which put Rudi Garcia's side two goals ahead in the tie and left Juve with a mountain to climb.
  
• Man City pounce on Varane mistakes to dump out Real Madrid7 August 2020, 9:32 pm
  Manchester City took advantage of two shocking mistakes by Raphael Varane to beat Real Madrid 2-1 in their Champions League last 16 second leg on Friday and advance to the quarter-finals as Pep Guardiola came out on top in his duel with Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman had never been knocked out of Europe's elite club competition as Real coach, leading them to three consecutive victories between 2016 and 2018 in his first spell before returning to the job last year.
  
• Alleged 'Football Leaks' hacker released from custody7 August 2020, 9:25 pm
  Portuguese media reports say Rui Pinto, the alleged hacker who has published internal documents that embarrassed clubs and officials, has been released from custody to await trial from home. Portugal state broadcaster RTP and other media reported that Pinto, considered the mastermind behind the ''Football Leaks'' revelations of soccer's financial inner workings, was released from police custody in Lisbon late Friday. Pinto is due to face trial on accusations of attempted extortion and hacking into secret information held by Sporting Lisbon and the Portuguese Football Federation.
  
• Lyon shock Juventus, reach Champions League quarterfinal7 August 2020, 9:22 pm
  Juventus v. Lyon was mean to be a straightforward comeback win for the home side to reach yet another UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. It was far from that.
  
• 3 things learned: Man City v. Real Madrid7 August 2020, 8:59 pm
  Manchester City beat Real Madrid to reach the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, as Pep Guardiola's side nullified the Spanish champions.
  
• Wild end to Spain's 2nd division 'virus' match 3 weeks later7 August 2020, 8:37 pm
  The match that caused chaos in Spain's second division after being suspended because of a coronavirus outbreak on one team was decided by a stoppage-time penalty on Friday. The spot kick scored five minutes into injury time by Claudio Beauvue gave Deportivo La Coruna a 2-1 comeback win over Fuenlabrada. The outcome meant nothing to the relegated Deportivo, but it did quash Fuenlabrada's bid to make the promotion playoffs while ensuring Elche clinched a spot in the fight for the top-flight.